Gerard Butler breaks down why his epic movie Plane is a 'truly great action film'

Gerald Butler reveals why his film Plane is ‘truly a great action’ epic.

While the Scot has dominated the action genre with the likes of 300, Law Abiding Citizen and The Bounty Hunter, his new action thriller is among his favourites.

If you’re not up to speed, the film follows pilot Brodie Torrance (played by Butler), who saves passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island.

But once they survive the horrific accident, dangerous rebels take most of the passengers hostage, and the only person who can help is Louis Gaspare (Colter), an accused murderer the FBI was transporting via Torrence's flight.

And the streaming gods have answered our prayers, as you can now watch Plane on Prime Video.

During an interview with Polygon, Butler recalled how when the script landed in his lap, he knew it was a gripping page-turner.

And while Plane might look like your standard action flick with tough guys and guns blazing, Butler thinks it offers so much more.

“The difference is really believing in the story. Having a lot of passion for it. And not wanting to be embarrassed when the movie comes out!" he said.

"You don’t want anyone thinking, ‘Oh, that moment’s convenient,’ ‘That moment’s not truthful,’ ‘That moment’s not funny'."

Even in its most 'Hollywood' moments, Plane is always rooted in believability.

Lionsgate Films

“So we pin down all these moments, and make them as exciting, as entertaining, as moving, as surprising as possible, and ultimately, something people can relate to,” he said.

“You ground each moment. These are ridiculous situations, but you play them as believable as possible.”

To make the action sequences look real, the actor revealed they filmed on ‘the whole body of an aircraft and put it on a gimbal that threw us around and dipped down’.

“I really thought we were going to topple over. At one point a cameraman literally fell over the railings,” he continued.

While action flicks rarely garner positive reviews, critics are absolutely loving it.

Sarah Cartland from Caution Spoiler gave the film four stars and praised it for its simple plot yet strong execution.

"This is solid and enjoyable filmmaking from director Jean-François Richet, that knows its limits. No overflowing passenger lists of extras, no shoehorned subplots," she wrote.

Guardian journalist Wendy Ide called it 'an aviation fuel-powered good time' while reviewer Dan Buffa said: "If you like well-made action flicks that don’t need a sequel setup, it’s money well spent."

You can now watch Plane on Prime Video, so make sure you’re signed up, people!